You slept in your new "big boy" race car bed for the first time last night!
You boys enjoyed "helping" Daddy take down your crib yesterday afternoon. You love to get his wrenches and put them up against the bed and pretend that you are helping. You did this exact thing also when we lowered Case's crib last month. You pull out different tools and hand them to Daddy while he is working and say "Thank you", (you either think you say Thank You when you give something to someone, or you are saying Thank You to him for him taking it from you.)
Case of course put the wrenches in his mouth. (yuck!)
When Daddy was taking the big sides of your crib out of your room, you were in a weird state of confusion and sadness! You were upset and did not know what was going on, and mad at us for taking away your bed! You cried and were being a little toot, but we realized you must have thought you were being kicked to the curb! :(
When Daddy brought in your new race car bed, of course all was well! Before the mattress was put in, you got in the middle of the bed frame on the floor and were so excited! As soon as he put the mattress on, you started jumping! You know beds are for jumping! (We let you jump in your crib, and jump on our master bed!)
It was a struggle for me to get you off for just a minute so I could put a sheet on! You didn't want to stop jumping!
So you were super excited about your new bed!
Then came bedtime. I video taped you walking into your room for the first time to use your new bed. :)
You got in bed great and laid there like you normally do. Toss and turn for a while. When you slept in your crib, it took you a while to fall asleep (but you were contained!!) We'd sit there with you for 10-30 minutes. (some nights it would be an hour!) We sing a little, but mostly are quiet. I'd lay on the floor next to you because (well, I'm tired!) I think it helps you know it's time for sleep if you see me laying down, not wanting to play or interact. Sometimes I would get up and leave with you still awake, and sometimes you would still lay there quietly and fall asleep on your own, but just as often, you would also start crying for me until I came back in. Bedtimes are just hit or miss.
So last night I sat by your bed for 15 minutes or so. You were still and quiet. So I got up and left. (I knew you weren't asleep yet).
Then after 5 minutes or so you came 1/2 way down the hall. Well, first I heard a thud, and the swishing of your diaper, so I thought "here we go!", and I knew to check if you were up. Then you saw me and you had a look of timidness and "Am I allowed to do this?!", so I said "Go back to bed", and you confidently said "Yes." You knew you were supposed to be in bed!
I sat there again for a few minutes, then left, then you eventually got up again, and again. I guess I just should have stayed in there the first time until you fell asleep, but I don't want that to be our routine! I don't want to have to stay in there for an hour waiting for you to fall asleep. I just want to leave you awake, and you fall asleep on your own. But I know this bed is all new, and the concept of sleeping with no rails is new, and this is just new territory for us all! I can't blame you for getting up and testing the waters with this entirely new concept. It's one thing if we just switched out your crib, you'd have to get used to sleeping in a new crib, but this is just all completely new - new bed, and new concept!
So eventually Daddy stayed in there with you for a bit, and left the room, and you were still up and got up again.
Well, we knew you were up because we heard thuds and what sounded like you jumping on your bed! Sounded like you were jumping, and then landing on your bottom. Also big thuds of probably you kicking the side of the bed.
The mattress is surrounded by plastic bed, so I'm sure you also hit your head a time or two, which is not good. I'm going to try to roll up blankets tonight and put them on either side of the mattress, but I know that won't stop you from just unrolling the blankets and throwing them to the ground! Most likely!
When you slept in your crib, you'd often end up sideways with your head resting on your crib bumper, and you have to train yourself to not sleep that way anymore, because there is no bumper there to pad your head!
You are not really a fan of the pillow concept right now. For a few weeks now I tried it in your crib, and you would either sleep your entire body on top of it, or throw it out of your crib all together, or just squish it to one end of your crib and you sleep at the other end.
I think last night it got pushed up against the head of your bed, and you slept a bit further down, not using it.
I did of course scour the internet for cute pillow cases since that was the only new bedding you needed for this new bed, (your crib sheets and matching blanket from your crib bedding look cute on your bed!) So there will be a pillow with cute pillow cases on your bed, whether or not you use it!!! :)
So by 10pm, Mom and Dad were ready for bed, and you were still up. So Daddy took you by the hand and brought you into our room to show you we were very close. Our room is right next to yours, and that we were now going to bed. Then he took you back to bed and sat with you for 30 minutes or so. Then Dad and I got into bed and he fell asleep, and I did too, but not in a deep sleep because I heard those same thuds coming from your room! So at that point it was 11pm, and so I got 2 pillows for me, and used the fleece doggie blanket in your room and laid on the floor next to your bed.
You tossed and turned for a while, but I got stern with you and said to CLOSE YOUR EYES! You eventually laid still and you dangled your arm off the side of the bed where I was. I would hold your hand and touch you to comfort you, and then tuck your hand back up to your side. We did that a few times. Then I think I fell asleep before you did. I remember waking up a few times to you tossing and turning and I checked on you. (I did love that you wanted to touch me, and I love holding your sweet hand. You are very lovey.)
Eventually you fell asleep (I did too!), but when I really thought you were asleep, and you no longer moved, I got up and went back to bed. That was at 12am.
Then you slept through until this morning! You must have been exhausted from falling asleep SO late!
Daddy woke up with brother this morning and saw that your door was open, so he shut it. A bit after taking care of Case, (around 7am) he heard your door knob jiggling, (we have a baby proof door knob cover on it - which if we give you a few minutes, you will have hit it off onto the floor!). So Daddy went and opened your door and you excitedly pointed to your bed and said "UHHH" (made a noise of excitement!), and then grabbed Daddy's shorts and pulled him over to your new bed and showed him. Then you sat on the floor next to it and ran your hand over your bed, then jumped up on it!
It's like you fell asleep and forgot all about this big huge change and then it hit you when you woke up! It was not all a dream!
*(I still do this with new haircuts on myself. I go to sleep and then wake up the next morning and totally forget until I look in the mirror. It catches me off guard that my hair is cut!)
You were very happy this morning, (your usual self!) but obviously very tired. I told your babysitter that you would probably want an early nap this morning!
I knew last night would go as such, but my fear is how many more nights of that to expect until you are used to this new routine!
Just a new step of childhood.
I knew this year would bring the transition of moving you to a toddler bed, and also potty training! (not time for PT yet!!!)
Daddy was sad to take down your crib. You were "our baby" in your crib. Everyday it is more and more clear how big you are getting. You are so smart. We are blown away daily by how much you know and learn, and what you pick up on. You repeat everything and remember things that were barely mentioned. You are, as they say, a sponge that soaks up everything around you. I am already so proud to be your Mommy, and you are only 2! The things you say and do, you are just so smart.
I have questioned, (even though it's still 3 years away!!) if you would be ready for Kindergarten or not when you turn 5 since you would have JUST turned 5 in August before school starts, but at the age of 2, you already know all of your letters, colors, and numbers 1-10, which I never expected you to already know. And at MDO now, they teach you your letters (even though you already know all of them!), so my goodness, with another 3 years of you learning letters and numbers at pre-school, you are going to be reading by the time you are 5! Definitely ready for Kindergarten!
You are so much fun. You love to play with us, and have us chase you. You love to learn new games, and then you want to repeat them over and over. Daddy taught you that you can flip a toy car over, and then say "Oh No!", and then your toy tow truck will come over and flip the car right side up and help it. So you now want to play that all the time! :)
It's so fun to watch you and Case interact. He now wants to be with you and whatever toy you have in your hand. You say "No, Case!" (Well, you say "T" for "C" - which I love and think is SO cute!), so you say "No, TASE"! :)
And for "Okay" you say "O-Tay"! cute!!!
For "cookie" you say "tootie"!! :)
You like to grab whatever toy is in Case's hand, which of course is not acceptable. We are having to teach you (and discipline along the way!) that you don't just snatch toys out of his hand. And he's allowed to play with toys that are "yours" - (if you are not currently playing with it. We don't allow him to snatch toys either!)
We are teaching sharing, and discourage the word "mine". Of course you will forever use the word "mine", but we certainly won't encourage that Case has his toys, and you have yours. All toys in our house are for both of you to share. That is what you go to "time out" for most often. Is either snatching toys, or not allowing Case to play with your toys, or like this morning, you were using your body to push Case to the ground (while he was sitting up! You were leaning on him with your body). Not okay! I think you are testing the waters, and seeing the power and strength you have over your little brother. You are seeing what's okay, and what you are allowed to get away with. You are 2! So as the mother of a 2 yr old, I'm also learning how to discipline, and what to let you learn on your own, and how to love you, while disciplining, and how to hopefully get through to you so it affects your heart.
We want to encourage that you guys are brothers and best friends, and you will share! (damnit!)
I will write to Case soon! Have to work while paying for you guys to be at child care....!!!
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